THE ESSENTIAL VOCATION OF OPTICIANRY AND ITS PROUD HERITAGE
By Deborah Kotob, ABOM
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of this program, the participant should be able to:
- Introduce the optician to the rich heritage of their profession.
- Instill appreciation in the optician for over a hundred years of ophthalmic lens research and development.
- Expose the optician to the historical timeline for key milestones in ophthalmic lens development.
Credit Statement:
This course has been approved for one (1) hour of Ophthalmic Level I continuing education credit by the ABO. Course number: STWJHI082-1
To earn ABO credit, please review the questions and take the test at 2020mag.com/ce. Note: As of January 2020, no tests will be graded manually. Please call (800) 825-4696 for more information.
THIS COURSE IS SUPPORTED BY AN EDUCATIONAL GRANT FROM ZEISS
Opticianry is a calling, and we should take inspiration from our industry’s rich heritage to motivate us in our efforts and help us better express value to patients. Opticianry, as a profession, has a proud heritage that extends well beyond frame selection and adjustment. After all, what does an optical professional do? We help people see. We use lenses to manipulate light. We use the index of refraction of the material and the curvature and precise fitting metrics to correct refractive errors. We use AR to minimize reflections and reduce glare and halo for safer nighttime driving and improved lens cosmetics. We promote full UV protection in clear, photochromic, tinted lenses and polarized lenses to help patients protect their eyes and preserve their sight. And in the case of polarized lenses that block the blinding effects of horizontally reflected glare, we improve vision for patients in high-glare conditions for safer daytime driving and more comfortable enjoyment of outdoor activities. Thanks to digital lens designs and manufacturing advancements, we can now personalize lenses for patients and deliver optimal optical performance in lenses with wide fields of view with minimal peripheral distortion. This course will follow technological developments in ophthalmic optics from the 1800s to the present for history buffs. Understanding advances in lens technologies that provide the very best visual solutions for each patient is the mark of an optical professional. This course is designed to inspire those who have chosen this profession by educating them on the history of vision care technologies that have propelled this field forward. This course will enlighten the professional optician about the passion that motivates organizations to deliver breakthrough technologies continually.
INTRODUCTION
Many events in ophthalmic optics lens history
were inspired by a passion for providing vision
solutions for patients. Learning this history and
hearing these stories better equips us to raise
the value in the patient’s eyes (pun intended) by increasing their appreciation for the science
and technology behind their state-of-the-art
glasses. Patients who recognize the value they
are receiving from their eyeglasses are more
likely to accept the premium price as justified.
In an industry with increasing competition
and commoditization, it can be challenging
to convey this value to our patients. This challenge exists for all aspects of eyeglasses, but
particularly lenses. Lenses often cost as much
or more than frames. While lenses do the
heavy lifting for vision correction, they don’t
have the same emotional fashion connection
or daily visible branding to help patients
associate value. In this continuing education
course, you will learn about our profession’s
history and technological evolution.
All ECPs should be aware that good corporate citizenship is increasingly important
to consumers. According to multiple reports,
consumers overwhelmingly prefer to buy
from companies that practice good corporate
citizenship. In this course, you will also learn
about lens manufacturers that have made
corporate social responsibility part of their
mission. In the age we live in, giving back has
never been more critical.
Before we go through the timeline of the
key developments, I want to highlight some of
ZEISS’ early contributions that led to major
milestones over the years in ophthalmic
optics. Carl Zeiss sold glasses in the optical
department of his store until 1880 before pursuing the subject of vision correction.. Ernst
Abbe’s theory of ray limitation was supplemented by Gullstrand’s expertise on vision
with the moving eye. In 1908, the ZEISS
board entrusted one of its scientists, Moritz
von Rohr, with the task of investigating possible improvements to eyeglass lenses. Moritz von Rohr developed the Dual Verant
magnifier in 1901 when Gullstrand was in
need of a magnifier that did not produce
aberrations to view pictures. He worked
closely with Allvar Gullstrand and Hans
Boegehold to create new computations for
eyeglass lenses. The first eyeglass lenses to be
computed according to the new findings
were known as Katral lenses. They were
developed for Aphakic eyes that had no
crystalline lens because of removal during
cataract surgery. Katral lenses were followed
in 1912 by lenses that provided point-focal
images in every viewing direction: Punktal
lenses. These lenses were not just an improvement over the eyeglass lenses that had been
available until then; they also constituted a
genuine breakthrough in eyeglass technology.
Punktal lenses were the first to be computed
on a strictly scientific basis. Depending on the
refractive power, the lens’ curvature could be
defined so that oblique astigmatism would be
completely corrected for peripheral rays.
Carl Zeiss has manufactured ophthalmic instruments for more than 100 years in close cooperation with leading eyecare specialists. ZEISS and Allvar Gullstrand jointly developed the first optical systems to diagnose diseases of the eye and visual aids for various visual problems at the beginning of the 20th century. Allvar Gullstrand was later awarded the Nobel Prize. Breakthrough, trendsetting ophthalmic instruments and visual aids adaptable to the needs of each wearer have been created throughout ZEISS’ 175 year history.
KEY MILESTONES
Here are key milestones in ophthalmic optics
lens technology and the organizations that
discovered/invented them. While the list is
not exhaustive, it highlights many key developments from the 19th century to modern
ophthalmic optics. Hopefully it provides you
with a greater appreciation for the lenses we
dispense daily.
1886 - Ernst Abbe of ZEISS calculates the
Abbe Value of optical clarity.
1889 - Carl Zeiss Foundation is established
by Ernst Abbe, 43 years after the Carl Zeiss
company’s start and one year after Carl
Zeiss’ death. Thus begins ZEISS, a wholly
foundation-owned company that reinvests
profits into research and development, and
humanitarian efforts.
1898 - Rodenstock of Germany produces
the first prescription sunglasses with UV
protection.
1907 - The first patent for a progressive
lens, issued to Owen Aves of Great Britain.
1908 - Moritz von Rohr calculates the first
magnifying visual aid using the Gullstrand
imaging theory of image formation: telescopic
glasses.
1910 - The Katral point-focal cataract lenses
are the world’s first aspheric lenses.
1911 - Invention of the slit lamp by Allvar
Gullstrand of ZEISS.
1912 - A pivotal year in modern Rx lenses.
1912 is the year that lenses changed from an
artisanal craft, with poor peripheral optical
clarity to a precision-based process for making focal point lenses, with groundbreaking
improvements in off-center lens optics. The
ZEISS Punktal lens launched that same year
best illustrates this breakthrough improvement in ophthalmic lens’ peripheral optics.
However, there was a long buildup of science
and engineering before the breakthrough.
At the time, organizations were more akin
to jewelers, creating ophthalmic lenses.
While the craft demanded great attention
to detail, science and engineering truly
advanced ophthalmic optics. In sharp contrast, the ZEISS Punktal was created by a
legacy of science and engineering. Steeped
in the science of lens optics, the early days
of ZEISS included contributions from Carl Zeiss, who started the company in scientific
microscopes. Ernst Abbe, a physicist who
created the Abbe Value of optical clarity,
also formed the Carl Zeiss Foundation.
This legacy and collaboration led Carl
Zeiss scientist Moritz Von Rohr to develop
the ZEISS Punktal, a culmination of scientific optical theory and engineering manufacturing. Both Von Rohr and Gullstrand
received the Nobel Prize for these contributions. Punktal was so influential that its
name was etched into the glass, making it
the first branded ophthalmic lens. Its name
was used continuously until 2012, making
it the longest surviving lens trademark in
the world. The invention of Punktal also
marks the beginning of the Vision Care
business unit at ZEISS. Another fun fact is
that before Punktal, Von Rohr invented
the ZEISS Katral lens specifically for postcataract surgery patients. They were worn
by the famous impressionist Claude Monet
in 1923, leading him to re-paint several of
his later works with more vibrant colors.
1921 - The launch of the AO Lensometer
from American Optical (now part of ZEISS Vision Care). ZEISS’ foundation structure
enables the investment to create the German School of Opticians, the first of its kind
in Germany, to aid both patients and train
technical specialists who were needed in the
growing vision care manufacturing industry.
1924 - Estelle Glancy of American Optical
(now part of ZEISS Vision Care) invents
and patents many of the mathematical calculations necessary to create today’s progressive
lenses. Estelle is recognized as the “first
woman” in optics research.
1925 - Tillyer lens. Patent issued for the first
lens to correct astigmatism and power at
American Optical (now part of ZEISS
Vision Care). An invention very similar to the
Punktal lens was created in 1912.
1935 - Carl Zeiss patents the invention of
coating glass surfaces to reduce reflections.
1939 - (Due to wartime military secrets. this
1935 AR coating was not patented until 1939.)
Physicist Olexander Smakula of ZEISS
invents the first ophthalmic anti-reflective
coating. Smakula later went on to become a
professor of physics at MIT.
1945 PPG develops CR-39 monomer, the
first plastic resin used in the manufacture of
ophthalmic lenses.
1949 - ZEISS creates the bifocal Duopal,
the first to incorporate physiological visual
conditions in the design.
1950 - Donald Stookey of Corning is awarded
the patent for photochromic glass. Stookey
is also credited with creating Corning Ware.
1959 - ZEISS was the first to apply AR coatings commercially to ophthalmic lenses,
roughly 20 years after AR’s invention.
1959 - Progressive lens technology: The
first use of the term “progressive” for ophthalmic lenses in a patent by Ernst Lau and
Rolf Riekher at the Institute for Optics and
Spectroscopy at the German Academy of
Sciences. During this time, they are joined
by Guenter Minkwitz, who developed the
Minkwitz theorem, which was the next
mathematical basis needed to create progressive lenses. The Minkwitz theorem
explains why the lateral spherocylindrical
distortion or power errors in a progressive
lens increase proportionately to the addition
power and corridor length.
• Building on the discoveries of Aves, Glancy, Lau, Riekher, Minkowitz, and others, French engineer Bernard Maitenaz creates Varilux, the first commercially viable progressive lens. The French optical company Essel eventually becomes the “Ess” in “Essilor” after merging with Silor, now part of EssilorLuxottica.
• Orma 1000, the first plastic lens, is launched. It is more commonly known as CR39, a trademarked material from PPG Industries; it made lenses more lightweight than glass while providing good optical clarity.
1976 - Varilux launches the first progressive lens in Orma (CR39). 1980 - Permalite—the world’s first tintable abrasion-resistant coating, developed by American Optical (now ZEISS Vision Care). 1983 - Photochromic. American Optical, now a part of ZEISS Vision Care, launches the first plastic photochromic called Photolite. 1983 - Progressives: ZEISS Vision Care received the patent for horizontal symmetry in progressive lenses and launched in their lens Gradal HS. Horizonal. 1991 - Photochromic. PPG and Essilor jointly create Transitions, a lens that darkens based on the intensity of light. 1992 - ZEISS creates the world’s first computer-aided centration device, the ZEISS Video Infral. 1995 - Compensated Rx. ZEISS Vision Care invents the compensated Rx, which gives patients even clearer vision by modifying the prescription to align with the patient’s actual experienced vision through most of the lens, rather than what may be measured only through the optical center by a lensometer. 1996 - Backside-only freeform or “digitally” surfaced lenses are invented and patented by ZEISS Vision Care. The backside freeform patent was awarded to Dr. Albrecht Hof and Adalbert Hanssen of ZEISS. Considered the gold standard for producing freeform eyeglass lenses, it efficiently minimizes the alignment errors typical between the back (Rx surfacing) and the front surface (progressive lens design). The patent only recently expired. 1997 - VSP founds Sight for Students. 1998 - First progressive for small frames: AO Compact by SOLA (now part of ZEISS Vision Care). 2000 - Gradal Individual—the first completely Rx compensated backside freeform lens accounts for back vertex distance, pantoscopic tilt and wrap angle measurements. 2007 - i.Scription—ZEISS launches the world’s first combination of subjective refraction and wavefront measurement, enabling lens prescriptions up to 100th of a diopter. 2018 - With ZEISS’ launch of ZEISS UVProtect, UV protection in clear lenses is now on par with sunglass standards, protecting against UVA up to 400 nm without a perceptible difference in color of the lenses. 2020 UVClean—world’s first optometryfocused UVC frame and lens disinfection system from ZEISS.
HOW THE INDUSTRY GIVES BACK
As in many industries, the driving force
behind innovations is often a combination
of intellectual curiosity and the search for
new profitable endeavors. The optical
industry, however, is special in that several of
its key manufacturers are heavily involved
in using their profits to advance the study of
optics or for general vision care in underserved communities.
One example is how EssilorLuxottica, a publicly-traded for-profit company, founded the Essilor Vision Foundation in 2007 to pursue the fight against impaired vision and its lifelong consequences among children. It also founded the Vision Impact Institute in 2013 and in 2015, Vision For Life, research and grant-making in vision care for underserved communities. EssilorLuxottica reinvests a portion of its profits for these and other humanitarian efforts.
VSP, the maker of Unity lenses and vision insurance products, created Sight for Students in 1997, providing gift certificates for comprehensive eye exams and prescription glasses. Since then, nearly one million children have received this benefit. VSP itself was originally founded as a not-for-profit company, and today some of its divisions have continued to retain this status.
ZEISS Vision Care also has a unique history in terms of community outreach efforts and research reinvestment. For starters, it is not a publicly-traded entity, and it has no shareholders. Instead, it is wholly-owned by the Carl Zeiss “Stiftung” Foundation. Founded in 1889 by Ernest Abbe, the Carl Zeiss Foundation has directly owned most of the ZEISS business, particularly ZEISS Vision Care, for over 130 years. All proceeds from the Carl Zeiss Foundation are reinvested into advanced optical research at leading global universities, science education and other humanitarian efforts, such as the Aloka Project in India. One notable early achievement for Ernst Abbe and the ZEISS Foundation was the creation of the 40-hour workweek for company employees in 1900, the first of its kind in Germany and one of the earliest in the entire world. In contrast, this only became law in the U.S. in 1940. Also as early as 1908, the Carl Zeiss Foundation approached the German Association of Ophthalmic Opticians (DOV) to set up a school for ophthalmic opticians in the city of Jena. In each of these cases, the proceeds of ophthalmic lens sales were used to advance these other causes. Among U.S. ophthalmic lens manufacturers, only ZEISS Vision Care is 100 percent foundation owned.
CONCLUSION
Opticianry is more than just a job; it is a calling. The optician’s work is what connects the eye exam to vision correction for the patient. Opticians perform vital work, and they can end each day proud of what they do to improve lives. Aside from this, opticians can take similar pride in the advanced ophthalmic lenses’ science and technology that they dispense daily to improve vision. Advances in vision correction have real consequences for the quality of life of ametropes and presbyopes. Companies that provide these products have invested heavily in time and money in groundbreaking scientific research. As a result, patients’ vision correction has vastly improved in the last 100 years, significantly more than the prior 1,000 years. Like the calling opticians feel to provide optimal vision correction for patients, it is the philanthropy of companies and their scientific calling that makes the world a better place through better vision. In the case of VSP and Essilor, this effort includes the formation of foundations to help the vision needs of underserved communities. On the other hand, entirely holistic foundation ownership like that of the ZEISS Foundation uses profits to not only serve various humanitarian causes but to fund the advancement of modern ophthalmic science. In contrast, we increasingly see the commoditization of eyeglass lenses, particularly on the internet. This commoditization often means a compromise in the quality of the ophthalmic lens prescription and the patient’s finished product. Usually provided without a comprehensive eye exam and in-depth refraction, lenses of this nature do not provide optimal vision correction for the patient. Most patients require a much more robust eye exam experience and lenses that match this high level of care. These products are generally available only at in-person optical dispensaries. The in-person experience allows the doctor to perform an in-depth refraction and a comprehensive eye exam. This eye health care level deserves the inperson experience with a professional optician that fills the prescription with the best ophthalmic lens technology. A professional optician’s invaluable expertise in lens selection, fitting, measuring and adjusting the perfect frame is key to optical lens performance and aesthetics.
We hope those who complete this course will have gained a deeper appreciation of the history of the craft they have chosen. Opticians who understand the science and technology that lead to today’s advanced lens designs are better equipped to help patients understand that purchasing quality lenses is a worthwhile investment. The patient investment reflects the magnitude of inventors and ophthalmic lens scientists’ investment, especially when considering the long history of ophthalmic scientific discoveries and technological development.